Superman: "I'm here to fight for truth, and justice, and the American way."
Lois Lane: [Laughs] "You're gonna end up fighting every elected official in this country!"
- Superman (1978)
Yesterday, an election bomb was dropped and it stole Obama's mile-high glow. The oldest candidate to ever run for president, John McCain, announced his choice for running mate and E-V-E-R-Y one wants to know... "Who's Sarah Palin?"
I know women like Palin, feisty, intelligent, principled, family oriented people who have overcome difficulties and succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. I admire people who take on their city council's latest idiocy, who oppose the majority on the school board, who will not vote to convict on a jury because guilt has not been proven beyond their own shadow of a doubt. Such people often prove to be the rare friend to hold your feet to the fire when times are tough and you need a swift kick.
They are not restful, comforting, team building, facilitating individuals - it's their way or the highway and Sarah Palin's firing of staff and government officials who don't toe her political line is just such an example. Mavericks, wild cards, loners, ideologues, trailblazers have their place in our lives and our government, but McCain's VP choice shows not only a desperate need to shake up his campaign and distract the voters from issues, his choice also shows me that he wants that Superhero sidekick of his dreams.
With Palin by his side, they can save the world from the chaos of abortion rights, civil rights, privacy rights, liberal rights...the wrong kind of rights, I guess. She's the perfect sidekick for a comic book world beater, beautiful, athletic, gentle with her kids and a barracuda with her enemies - a kick ass girl who fights for ethical government while using her office to take down her sister's Ex.
According to those that "know", however, she's good for repugnatans because her ultra conservative/anti abortion/ anti environment/ gun loving platform is energizing the religious far right. All McCain and Palin need now is an endorsement by Pat Robertson to really prod the beast.
How can McCain expect us to believe he wants to protect the environment, reduce oil dependence...yadda, yadda, when he chooses a running mate who continues to oppose these views? It's worse than the Bush Oil Cartel.
No more, no way, no how, no McCain.
(9/1/08 pm Postscript: Apparently, Palin is carrying more hot water for the repugnatans - her poor seventeen year old unwed daughter is pregnant. Naturally, the "left wing, liberal bloggernaught" is being blamed by these clueless people for digging up "private" and painful issues about the Palin family. Playing the "blame the liberals" card isn't quite as easy as someone thought it would be, however. Alaska republicans that have tangled with her spread the story first, and naturally bloggers on both sides sniffed it out.
Question: How concerned and caring is Palin, really? She has knowingly subjected her own unwed, pregnant daughter to the merciless glare of public scrutiny rather than suck it up and turn down her path to glory and spare her family what is turning out to be hell. It is just, plain stupid to think that people won't care about her problems and even more bubble headed to think political opponents (both Democrat and Republican) won't use any scandal or misstep against her.
Earlier, I stated that I know women like Palin. Fortunately, I do not know anyone who would do this to their own child.)
